Smitten
by lokiobsessed
Summary: Perdita was a half-villain, half-hero. Everyone in Auradon Prep disliked her because she wasn't like them. When the VKs come along everything changes, it sparks something in Perdita. Something she concealed for years but with her new friends, found herself able to let it out. (Part of Lost and Found Series) (Rated T for language)
1. Chapter One

Perdita sat on the armchair in her bedroom, it was positioned to face the window which showed a beautiful view. She was sat in it daydreaming. She was thinking about her being a princess and being accepted not ridiculed by everyone. She had a copy of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes rested on her legs, which were resting on the windowsill. The midday sun was streaming in, making her face glow. She wasn't really one for wearing makeup so she always had a natural glow to her.

She was pulled out by a loud noise from her bedroom door. Her head whipped towards the wooden door but only saw Chad there. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, taking her legs from the windowsill. She took her book and slipped the bookmark in, sliding it into its place on the shelf.

"Perdita, could you please do my homework?" He asked leaning against the door frame giving her his most 'charming' smile. She scoffed.

"No." She said walking up to the door, pushing against his chest so he moved out of the doorway. She then slammed the door in his face. Despite, getting anxious when talking to other people, she could deal with Chad easily. He had done nothing but bug her to do his homework for years so she learnt to deal with him.

She rested her back against the door, letting out a deep breath. She could feel herself getting anxious, she knew that was the only way to get rid of him but it still made her anxious. She got enough crap from everyone, she didn't need any more of it because they thought she was a half-breed and a bitch.

She felt the pounding of a fist against the door and she rested the back of her head against it, exasperated. She could hear muffled sounds of pleas from the other side but just ignored, hoping he would leave soon. After a moment, she heard another voice. Another male voice. She let out a deep breath and heard a set of receding footsteps.

"Perdita, it's just Ben. Could you open the door?" He shouted from the other side. She sighed and stepped back, twisting the knob and pulling it open. Revealing the grand corridor on the other side. Ben was stood on the other side, holding a small smile. She didn't return it, just looked down waiting for him to say something.

"I'm sorry about, Chad. I will get him to stop." Ben informed her. She shrugged and just leant against the open door, keeping it steady with her arms and right foot.

"It's fine. He'll learn eventually." She muttered in response, feeling the anxiety growing inside of her. She could practically feel the stares on her from passing students. However, in reality, only two people looked and made a snide comment. Everyone else didn't care.

"It's been 10 years. He hasn't taken the hint yet. I'll talk to him." Ben told her, not exactly giving her an option. She sighed and nodded her head.

"I just wanna go back to reading." She muttered in response and he nodded.

"Yeah, don't let me keep you." He said and she smiled in return, briefly meeting his gaze. He began to make his way down the corridor and she stepped back into her room, locking the door. She just wanted to be alone. She could feel the anxiety slowly beginning to die down now that she was alone in her bedroom. She hated leaving her room because life was hell everywhere else.

* * *

She sat in the back of English class, her arms crossed on the desk, her chin resting on it. She was staring at the back of Prince Kai's head. To Perdita, he was the most attractive guy in the school. He was both smart and popular. He was by far the sweetest guy she had ever met, despite never actually talking to him, she couldn't help the feeling of butterflies in her stomach around him. She was madly in love with him despite never actually having a full on conversation with him.

"Ms Carter? Are you listening?" Mrs Davis asked, looking down at the brunette. She moved her eyes up to look at the teacher and nodded her head slightly, feeling her cheeks heat up, "Okay, what did Romeo just say to Juliet?" The woman quizzed. Perdita wasn't paying the most attention but she knew they were on the ball scene so just took a random guess at the line.

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged." She recited with little to no confidence. The teacher smiled gently at the girl and turned around, clearly Perdita proving she had been listening. Kai had been watching the whole exchange and couldn't help but smile at how the teacher was shown up. He wasn't the biggest fan of Mrs Davis so was glad she had been shown up.

Perdita, feeling embarrassed by the whole situation, didn't daydream about Kai any longer that lesson. She didn't want to be caught off guard again and it honestly made her feel really anxious but she tried to ignore it.

"Okay, class, it's time for you to hand in your homework. Leave them on the table before you leave." Mrs Davis called to the class which had burst into chatter at the sound of the bell. Perdita began rifling through her papers looking for the homework assignment but couldn't find it. She looked around her desk and couldn't see it or anywhere in the classroom. She furrowed her eyebrows in pure confusion. She had left it in between her Magical History textbook and Chemistry one. She looked through all her papers but had no luck. She huffed out in annoyance and pulled her fingers through her hair.

"Typical." She muttered under her breath. Suddenly, something was slammed onto her desk. Her assignment with the words 'Half-Breed Bitch' written across it. Swearing wasn't a thing a lot of people did in Auradon Prep. However, everyone found it acceptable to use them towards Perdita because she had a Villain and a Queen for parents. The 'bitch' bit was a new addition to the long list of names they called her and she was getting sick of it.

"Not again." She muttered collapsing back into her chair. Mrs Davis walked towards Perdita and looked down at the words written but Perdita quickly grabbed it before she could do anything. Perdita ripped the front page, that originally had the title and her name on it, off the staple and scribbled the title and her name on in replacement. She scrunched up the paper. Perdita dropped the assignment to the table and got to her feet, walking out of the class with books in hand and backpack over her shoulder. It was lunch now but she just went to her room. She had food in her room, thanks to Ben, so didn't have to go to the cafeteria thankfully. She was glad Ben cared about her. He didn't judge her for being a half-breed or having 'tainted' blood as everyone said. She would apparently never be a true queen because she had villain blood running through her veins. It was pathetic honestly and she hated it.


	2. Chapter Two

**Some of this chapter was co-written with one of my amazing friends at Luce-and-Lish**

Perdita sat in bed, holding her book above her head. She was rereading A Study in Scarlet for the sixteenth time and honestly was still astounded by how clever Sherlock was. She understood how he solved it now but it still amazed her. She wished he was real so she could actually meet him and find out how he did everything. That was one of the many things she daydreamed about, meeting Sherlock and helping him with a case. She also liked to dream about her and Kai being together. It was stupid really but she still imagined it anyway.  
She imagined them sitting on one of the beaches on Auradon. One of them that you could just see the sea for miles and miles. The sun was shining high in the sky and the water looked so blue and beautiful. They were sat on a blanket and just talking about anything and everything. They had already eaten and were just now sitting and talking. They talked for hours until the sunset and just as it was setting, they kissed. It was amazing and breathtaking and beautiful.

It was the picturesque life she dreamed of but knew she could never have. A sudden noise pulled her out of her daydreaming and book. She looked up and saw Ben leaning against the door. He had the same smile on his face. It was one that made her feel comfortable and not freaked out as Chad's did,

"Hey, Carter," He said smiling, entering the room. She pulled herself to sit up and placed her book down on the bedside table. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and got up. "I just wanted to tell you something." He added watching as she put the book back in its place. He only noticed it recently but she had all her books in colour order. Whichever colour was the main one on the spine, she used that to make a rainbow of colours on her shelf. It looked cute, honestly. He was surprised he had never noticed it before but he was only just beginning to notice her little habits, anyway.

"Okay." She responded turning to him, leaning against the shelves.

"I decided to bring some of the Villain's kids over to Auradon." He said, "It's my first decision as soon to be King." He continued, wanting to see some sort of reaction from her. However, she did not react like her parents did who were horrified, she just furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why are you telling me?" She asked moving her eyes off the Prince. He looked towards the window and looked at the view she got. She got the best view of the land behind Auradon Prep. It was just forest and green land for as long as far as the eye could see. He was kind of jealous but knew he would never appreciate it as much as she does. He pulled himself back to reality, returning his gaze to Perdita.

"I thought you'd like to know just in case anybody brought up your father. Any of the newcomers, I mean. I just wanted to prewarn you." He said, her smile faltered at the mention of her father but quickly returned. She tried to act happy around everyone in Auradon Prep as to not draw attention to herself. She never wanted to do that because she hated the attention honestly.

"Okay." She nodded, sending him a bright smile. Ben smiled back and turned away, exiting the room, without another word. He seemed like he wanted to say something more but he didn't and that bugged her slightly. However, she dismissed that thought and glanced to the clock realising she should be going to class soon.

* * *

She was sat in Chemistry and honestly just wanted to leave. Her partner was literally the creepiest guy ever aka Chad Charming. Her least favourite person in the world. Every other girl was charmed by him but she found him creepy and he made her feel extremely anxious. Also, the fact that he copied her work bothered her to no end. She wanted to punch him in the face more times than one.

"Perdita, come on. Just give me the answers." He tried to persuade her but she obviously wasn't taking it. She was just muttering a no to him because she didn't want to draw attention to it. However, due to Chad being a loud, obnoxious, creepy ass he had to be loud and practically shout every sentence because he wanted to.

"I told you, no." She muttered attempting to move away from him but he just grabbed her arm. He held a tight grip on her wrist and Perdita couldn't pull away.

"Oi." a voice came from behind the two of them. The voice was equipped with a thick Scottish accent. It came from a curly-haired redhead. "Prince Jerk. Why don't you let go of her arm and stop being a creepy ass dick? Because clearly, you're making her uncomfortable and if you don't let go, I'll make you. And I'll be aiming an arrow at your head. Don't forget last time I broke your nose." the girl smiled a fake smile. Perdita's head whipped to the source of the voice and couldn't help but smile slightly. She wasn't exactly friends with Maddie but she knew it wasn't a good idea to mess with her. The pair had had a few conversations but they never considered each other friends.

Perdita let out a sigh of relief when she felt the grip on her arm release. She turned to Chad and saw he wasn't scared but knew not to mess with the redhead.

"Why are you protecting, half-breed?" He asked obviously referring the Perdita. She looked away from Maddie at that point, looking at her arm instead. She was going to thank Maddie but Charming got in the way of that, obviously bringing that up.

"Because, dear Charming, I know that it's not right. And you know how I feel about you, so any chance to threaten you I'll take it. But you talk a load of shit anyway. Now please for Perdita's and my sanity, shut your mouth unless you want to eat arrows." Maddie crossed her arms. "She doesn't deserve this."

Perdita couldn't help but smile slightly, someone finally sticking up for her. She was glad Maddie did because she definitely wouldn't. Perdita looked up and sent a smile to Maddie that was her way of saying 'thank you' since she couldn't find the words to actually say it. Her anxiety was going a bit crazy at that point and was finding it hard to even say anything. Chad had given up now and just couldn't be bothered anymore because he was 'above it all', as he liked to say. Maddie smiled back at Perdita.

"If Prince Jerk bothers you again, come find me and I'll be ready with my bow and arrow." Maddie waved and then walked back to her table. Perdita nodded but before she could stumble out a reply Maddie was gone. She took a deep breath and turned back to her work, continuing to work on it.

She was unsure of how the teacher didn't take notice of the interaction but he didn't and Perdita was glad because she did not want any more unwanted attention.


	3. Chapter Three

Perdita ventured out of her dorm, only to be met with five people. She didn't recognise any of them and honestly, they all looked weird looking. There were three girls and two boys. One of the girls had blue hair and another with striking red hair, the last one had purple. The boys definitely looked more ragtag than the girls though. One had white hair and the other long brown hair with a red beanie. She had a feeling these were the kids from the Isle.

The blue-haired girl looked to Perdita and instantly her eyebrows furrowed. Perdita was frozen to the spot as the blue-haired girl stopped in front of her.

"Hey, guys. Is it just me or does she looked like Will, from the Isle?" The girl said calling over her group of friends. This only made Perdita more anxious and she was literally frozen to the spot, her muscles unmoving. The trio all looked to the girl and each was confused.

"You're right. She looks just like him, wow." The white-haired boy responded. He had his arms crossed over his chest, watching the girl curiously. She opened her mouth to speak but it just came out as a mumble of words mushed into one. The purple-haired girl raised an eyebrow at the jumble and waited for her to talk again.

"I- Whoareyouguys?" She let out in a jumble that was way more coherent than previously. The group looked at each other and was surprised she was unaware of who they were.

"We are the kids from the Isle." The purple-haired girl said.

"I'm the Evil Queen's daughter, Evie." The blue-haired girl introduced herself, seeming like the outgoing one of the group, "This is Mal, Maleficent's daughter. That's Heather, Queen of Hearts daughter. That's Jay with the brown hair, he's Jafar's son. This is Carlos, Cruella's son." She introduced the group. Perdita looked between the group and felt the overwhelming anxiety, stepping back into her room and slamming the door. With anyone else, the people she slammed the door on would be a mix of shocked, confused and offended but the kids from the Isle didn't care. They just shrugged it off and walked back, in search of their dorm room.

* * *

It was late at night now and Perdita was still up, doing a multitude of things. She preferred to do the thing she needed to at night as to avoid people, so she tended to be up a lot. She was walking down a corridor when she noticed the five kids from the Isle sneaking down the corridor. It was completely vacant everywhere else but them rushing down the corridor. She didn't know what compelled herself to do so, but she quickly found herself following them.

She was still in her normal clothes so didn't look completely mental as she followed the five out of the school. She had never broken the curfew in her life but for some reason, she just felt compelled to follow them. With little to no hesitation, she followed them out of the door, sticking to the shadows as she followed them.

They were walking for too long when they finally came up to the Museum of Cultural History. She had only ever been in there once or twice but she didn't understand why they were going there. She had no clue why they would be going there. It had nothing of… importance. It hit her.

"The wand." She muttered out loud unknowingly. Suddenly, the five VKS turned around thinking they heard a voice. Perdita noticed just in the nick of time and slipped behind a wall, out of sight of them.

"Did you hear that?" Mal asked looking behind still. Evie turned to her best friend and furrowed her eyebrows.

"No? What was it?" Evie asked glancing behind as well.

"Nothing." Mal dismissed. She was just dismissing it as her mind playing tricks on her, trying to convince this was not what she should be doing. She was honestly having doubts about doing this, she wasn't sure this was the best idea but she wanted to impress her mother. She didn't want to disappoint her.

Perdita's heart was beating against her ribcage in a fast rhythmic beat, she was honestly scared to death that she was caught. She didn't know what these kids would do if they caught her. She hoped nothing like what their parents did, she didn't want to prejudge them as everyone else had. She got enough judging and they definitely got enough judging from everyone else so she didn't want to add to it.

She quietly followed the group to an entrance to the museum. She couldn't hear what they were saying but she watched as Mal did something with a spellbook and the door opened on its own. Jay still running up and trying to kick it open, only making him look stupid.

Perdita had to hold back a laugh at that but didn't want to follow them into the museum. She just waited outside to see what happened. She sat down, against the wall, knowing they might be a while. She was feeling tired and slowly her eyes began to flutter closed. As she slipped into sleep.

* * *

She was quickly awoken by an alarm blaring in her ear. She jumped to her feet, looking around frantically. It was still night but she had no idea how long she'd be asleep for. She didn't even mean to fall asleep but she did. She didn't know what to do so she just began running. Not realising that the VKs could see her running off. That wasn't what was in her mind at the time. She just had to get out of there before someone saw her. She practically ran all the way back to Auradon Prep, feeling even more tired than previously.

She walked up the stairs of the school, panting heavily and sweating like crazy. As she was walking along the corridor, the last person she expected to bump into was none other than - Kai. She instantly moved her gaze down away from the Prince. He was surprised to see her, this late at night and this sweaty.

"Woah, did you just like fall into a pool or something?" He joked smiling slightly at the sweaty girl. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he began to speak. She found it weird that he started the conversation like that but she kind of realised that's what he did a lot of the time. He always seemed to make jokes, cringy or not, and he seemed a lot less confident then he portrayed with his friends.

"N-No." She stuttered out, unable to really speak. "I just… uhhh I-I r-ran." She stumbled out unable to comprehend words. He furrowed his eyebrows, thoroughly confused. Why was she running this late at night?

"Do you always run at this time?" He asked his confusion evident. She shrugged, looking back, nervously. She didn't know if someone had followed her but she was worried, honestly.

"Yeahittiresmeoutbeforebed." She let out quickly, stumbling over her words. He chuckled and smiled at her.

"Are you okay? You seem a little paranoid?" He asked and she felt the butterflies flapping in her stomach. She was beginning to get self-conscious with him there and couldn't help the smile on her face, despite fighting it. She turned to face him but couldn't meet his gaze.  
"I-I'm… f-fine." She stumbled out desperately trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. He nodded and stuffed his hands in his pyjama pockets.

"Well, I better let you go sleep or shower or whatever. Night, Dita." He said, walking past her. Her breath hitched in her throat at what he called her and she felt like she could literally die there. She didn't think he knew she existed and she felt the butterflies increase tenfold. As she walked back to her dorm, she felt like she was in a dream or being pranked or something. Whatever she was feeling it was the most amazing feeling in the world and she couldn't describe it.


	4. Chapter Four

**Some of this chapter was co-written with one of my amazing friends at Luce-and-Lish. The character Maddie is played by Lish and does not belong to me at all!**

Perdita woke up to a loud bang against her door. Her eyes fluttered open and she rubbed her eyes, groaning slightly. She pulled herself into a sitting position and stretched her arms out in front of her.

"Who is it?" She shouted pulling herself out of bed. She was stood in her polar bear pyjamas that most would find too warm for that time of year but she got cold a lot during the night. She strolled towards her door and opened it only to be met with purple-haired girl aka Mal.

Before Perdita could even say anything, Mal pushed her into the room and kicked the door shut once she also stepped inside.

"What the hell were you doing follow us?" The girl practically shouted at the brunette. Perdita sighed and stepped back once more, feeling the anxiety grow inside her once more.

"I-I-I don't know," She stuttered out, "I-I'm not going to say anything." She managed to get out to the intimidating girl. "If anything I wish you got it." She added in a much quieter tone. Mal raised an eyebrow at the girl's words and stepped back.

"You want us to get the wand?" She asked looking at the girl with utter confusion but a hint of mischief.

"W-Well, yeah. I would atleastseemydadifyoudid." She sped up during the last bit wanting to get it over with. Her dad was a touchy subject for her and well so was her mother. She despised her mother with a passion. She was evil and manipulative and was not the pure Queen she was made out to be.

"Your dad is a Villain?" Mal asked becoming more and more confused by the second, Perdita nodded her head, almost in shame, but she shouldn't be ashamed. It was her mother's decision, she should be ashamed and take the heat for it not Perdita. "So the Huntsmans' your dad?" Mal asked and Perdita nodded her head.

"Yeah. How do you know him?" Perdita added her anxiety slowly melting. She had this weird reaction to Mal. She was anxious at first but she wasn't getting more anxious if anything it was disappearing which never happened before. It was strange but she wasn't complaining.

"He's friends with Evie's mum. He was like an uncle to us and actually tried to help us out and understand us. Love us, unlike our parents who didn't care." Mal informed and Perdita couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips at that. She was glad her father wasn't as evil as her mum. Suddenly, the bell for the first lesson went and Mal groaned. Luckily, Perdita didn't have to go to that lesson. She thankfully had a free so could get ready without stressing out too much. Mal quickly turned and left the room without another word.

* * *

It was lunch now and Perdita was sat on the bleachers. She wouldn't usually go outside at lunch but she knew she was gonna start being Vitamin D deficient if she kept up that habit. So, now she was watching as the boys set up for Tourney. Kai was on the team, well most of the boys were and honestly, watching them play was fun and they all looked hot so I mean. Perdita wasn't complaining. She was never one to express that she found the boys good-looking but she did find a lot of them good-looking. Kai the most attractive but she'd never admitted that to anyone but her diary.

She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts by Maddie, who plonked herself next to Perdita with a scowl.

"Coach Jerkins is a dickhead. 'The team is made of boys only'." the redhead scoffed. "Sorry. Should've probably said hi first." She muttered.

"It's fine." She stuttered out taken by surprise, "He is a dick but I guess he is just following the rules? I don't know what to say really…" She said in response, surprisingly not stuttering this time despite feeling like an idiot.

" _Rules_. Rules my ass. It's Charming's doing." Maddie grumbled. "He's more of a girl than me. Just can't face that I'd actually be a good player on the team. I hate that prince. I don't know how I haven't shot the smirk off his stupid face yet." Perdita couldn't help but chuckle at that. She hated Chad just as much as Maddie and she was glad someone shared her hatred.

"I'm surprised I haven't hit him in the face in Chemistry. He's such an ass." She responded, glancing at Maddie for a moment. She then moved her gaze back to Kai who was beginning to play the Tourney game.

"Couldn't agree with you more." Maddie leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and propping her chin up on her fist, her glare following Chad. "I can hit a moving target too. I bet I could get him from here. Straight in the middle of his eyes…" she trailed off and cleared her throat. "Sorry… and yeah, it's not fair. He shouldn't be doing what he does to you. It's not fair what anyone does to you." Maddie glanced at Perdita for a moment. Perdita shrugged in response.

"It doesn't bother me as much anymore," She lied through her teeth and Maddie could tell, "I just…" She hesitated, "wish Chad would leave me alone. He's the most annoying piece of trash and honestly, you could peg my water bottle at him if you want." Perdita suggested picking up the empty bottle from her side. Maddie brightened.

"Please." she took the bottle and stood up, pulling her arm back and stopping for a moment before throwing the bottle. It hurtled straight towards Chad, pelting the side of his head. Chad lost balance for a second and brought a hand up to where the bottle had hit, looking around with a scowl on his face until his eyes landed on Maddie and Perdita. "You're welcome jerkface!" Maddie bowed. "It's a shame it can't knock any sense into that tiny sexist brain of yours. Too full of yourself to fit anything else in that pea brain." Chad mouthed something that wasn't understandable from where the girls were, but Maddie smiled and waved.

"I can't believe you just did that," Perdita said, slowly beginning to shrink in her seat. She just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear after that but honestly, she felt kind of happy. Chad deserved it and she was thankful. "I'm happy you did that but I also wanna die. I have no idea what's wrong with me." She said looking up at the redhead who was now sitting down. Maddie smiled a bit.

"It's satisfying." She shrugged. "Don't worry, if he snitches to Fairy Godmother I'll gladly take the blame. And there's nothing wrong with you. Nothing at all." The redhead shot Perdita another smile. Perdita couldn't help but smile back. It was weird having someone who didn't call her a half-breed or a bitch or some other rude thing. It was nice to just have a friend.

"You don't have to take the blame. I suggested it plus it's not like life can get any worse, so I mean. I don't care if I get told off." Perdita responded, looking down at the floor. She didn't understand why she was so willing to get in trouble for Maddie. She felt kind of confident around her which she was happy about and it was a nice feeling. She was glad she had a friend that made her feel more confident and less anxious. Maddie frowned slightly but it quickly faded away.

"It was fun." She shrugged. "Trust me, getting revenge on Chad is worth whatever punishment Fairy Godmother can spell up. And she's fond of Chad, Cinderella's son and all." Maddie rolled her eyes a bit. "He really is a dick, but some people can't see it. Tries to hide behind his charming smile." She gagged. Perdita chuckled at Maddie gagging over Chad. She felt the same but seeing someone else do it was funny to her, for whatever reason.

"But honestly, the princesses who fell for him have like one brain cell so I mean…" Perdita trailed off shrugging. She was very aware of the multiple princesses around her but at that moment, she didn't care and just let out how she felt.

"Exactly." Maddie nodded in agreement. "I don't see the big deal about 'princes'. Most of them let the attention from the princesses go to their heads. Our specific example being Chad." she gestured to the prince who was holding an ice pack to his head, though still managing to flirt with some of the cheerleaders. Maddie let out a snigger and then rolled her eyes. Perdita rolled her eyes as well and leant forward slightly, resting her arms on her knees.


	5. Chapter Five

**Some of this chapter was co-writte with one of my amazing friends at Luce-and-Lish. The character Maddie is played by Lish and does not belong to me at all!**

The pair were still sitting on the bleachers but unknown to Perdita, Kai was making his way over which Maddie could clearly see from where she was sat. He was holding the water bottle Maddie had just previously pelted in his hand. The bottle was one of Perdita's refillable ones but she was willing to sacrifice it for a bit of revenge on Chad and she knew even if she got it back it was going in the trash because she didn't want anything that that boy touched.

"Not all princes are idiots, though." Perdita began looking out onto the tourney field.

"Well, I know. Ben's nice. He's like a brother to me." Maddie said. "Kai's not that bad either. I haven't talked to him much but when I have he was fine." She shrugged. "And everyone else… well, they're either dicks or I just haven't bothered making conversation, or they haven't bothered with me."

"Yeah, Kai's nice though I haven't talked to him much. He seems super swe…" She trailed off upon seeing Kai standing there, holding the bottle. She awkwardly looked away and towards Maddie, giving her a look that screamed 'I hate you'. Maddie had to bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing.

"I just have your bottle. Since… well, Maddie pelted it at Chad. This is yours, right?" Kai asked looking down at Perdita who was looking away.

"Y-Yeah. It's mine." She stuttered suddenly feeling the butterflies and the nervousness and that slight bit of anxiety. She pushed her hair behind her ears and looked up taking the bottle from his hands.

"Ben would have come over but he had to go somewhere. I don't know so he made me come over. Sorry, for bothering you and all. I gotta go. I'll see you guys later. See you in English, Dita." Kai smiled at the pair awkwardly. He felt a bit awkward around them because that was just how he was really. He pretended to be confident but really was kind of shy. He quickly rushed off and Perdita practically drooled over him as he rushed off, all sweaty and looking really hot (well in Perdita's opinion).

"Well, that was cute." Maddie chuckled a bit. "He's nicknamed you already. And…" she trailed off and noticed Perdita still staring at Kai. "Earth to Perdita?" Maddie snapped her fingers in front of Perdita's face. Perdita quickly came to reality and turned her gaze to Maddie.

"Yeah, sorry. What?" Perdita asked, her face flushing a bright red. She hadn't realised that Maddie was even talking so honestly, felt kind of bad about it but she couldn't help it.

"You were drooling over Kai," Maddie said simply. "And he brought your bottle to you. It was cute. That's all." She shrugged.

"Well, I mean I wasn't the only one drooling over a player. I saw you staring at Jay, Maddie. Him and his tall, dark and handsome thing going on." Perdita responded quickly defending herself, looking at Maddie with a grin. Maddie froze up a bit and her cheeks began to match the colour of her hair.

"W-what?" She blinked and then relaxed. "You mean that guy from the Isle? The one with all the muscles? Nah…" she trailed off and her gaze fell upon him once again, absentmindedly. "I don't… I don't stare at guys." She pulled her gaze away and glued her eyes to her hands instead. Perdita chuckled and couldn't help the grin on her face. She had caught Maddie out and she was blushing bright red, it was a funny sight. The tough brave princess has gone soft at the mention of a boy.

"You cannot lie for the life of you. Especially about him." Perdita grinned at the girl, taking the bottle in her hand. "If you don't like him then I dare you to pelt this bottle at his head," Perdita challenged, grinning and passing the bottle to the redhead. Maddie glanced at the bottle uncertainly and then sighed.

" _He_ doesn't matter. He's just a boy." She muttered, standing up and swinging her arm back, but it stopped before the bottle released. Maddie shook her head and then threw the bottle, it tunnelled forward and… hit the wrong target. Kai. "Whoops?" Maddie shrugged and sat down. Perdita looked at Maddie with complete disbelief and her eyes went wide, wanting to hide. Kai quickly turned to look around and spotted the pair again, realising it was Perdita's bottle again. However, he was unsure of who threw it. They were both sat down and he couldn't tell which one did it. Maddie then grinned at Perdita and made eye contact with Kai, shrugging and then pointing at Perdita.

"Not me this time." Maddie lied, biting her tongue to stop her laughter. Kai furrowed his eyebrows and looked to Perdita whos face was flushed bright red. She was looking down and seemingly slowly sinking. Kai picked up the bottle and made his way back over to the pair again.

"What is it with you two and hitting us?" He asked looking between the pair. Perdita was slowly slipping off the seat just wanting to slide out of existence.

"It's amusing." Maddie shrugged. "The closest I can get to actually being on the team is messing with the team members." She said with a slight grumble. "It was _Perdita's_ idea to make you the next target though." Maddie smiled. "But do warn Jay to watch his head." Kai furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at Perdita who had now slipped off the seat and was in a ball in front of it.

"Is she okay?" Kai asked, placing the bottle down, unsure of what to say to Perdita who was just curled in a ball. Perdita felt like dying honestly. She was curled in a ball, her face bright red and she just wanted to die honestly. She was already dying from embarrassment.

"Just fine… just a bit… too warm." Maddie looked at Perdita and felt the slightest bit of guilt but was still trying her hardest not to laugh. "Maybe you should help her up," Maddie suggested. Perdita was this close to killing Maddie with her bare hands. She slowly lifted her head and saw Kai on one side, Maddie on the other. Maddie was clearly holding back a laugh. Kai was just very confused.

"You need help?" He asked, smiling at the girl, not bothered about her bright red face. She shook her head and got to her feet, almost falling over in the process (somehow) but before she could fall onto the next seat down, Kai grabbed her arm. "You alright there?" He asked keeping a tight grip on her arm as she steadied herself. She took a deep breath and nodded, her heart beating way too fast. He was actually touching her. Her whole body just felt warm, it was weird. He could feel her heart against her rib cage, the butterflies turning to bats and flapping violently in her stomach. She felt like she was about to faint and she had no idea why.

"Okay, pretty boy I'm done with being the third wheel." Maddie stood up. "I can take it from here." She smiled a bit. "I think your team needs ya." Maddie nodded her head towards the team who were getting ready to start playing again. He gave Perdita a concerned look but quickly rushed off again, not wanting to get shouted at by the coach. Perdita turned to Maddie, still feeling lightheaded and faint.

"Maddie, I think I'm going to faint. I don't know why but yeah... I'm definitely gonna faint." Perdita informed the redhead. Her eyes fluttered closed and she just collapsed, fainting then and there.


	6. Chapter Six

**Some of this chapter was co-written with one of my amazing friends at Luce-and-Lish. The character Maddie is played by Lish and does not belong to me at all!**

Perdita began to fall, fainting. Maddie's eyes widened and she quickly moved forward, catching Perdita before she could hit the floor.

"Shit." Maddie panicked and looked around. "Help!" She called, looking around. "Can someone not be an ignorant twat for once and help out here?!" Kai's head instantly whipped in the direction of Maddie's voice. Instantly seeing Perdita fainted.

"Ben! Ben!" Kai shouted running over to the prince. He knew that Ben knew her better so he would be the best one to get. Kai stopped in front of the Prince. "Uh… Perdita just fainted!" He said with a very panicked tone. Ben's eyes widened and before Kai could say another word, he pulled the helmet off and rushed to Perdita.

"Ben!" Maddie looked up at the prince, Perdita still in Maddie's arms. "She just… she just fainted and I don't know what to do… I managed to catch her before she hit the floor but… I think it might be my fault…" Maddie frowned, looking at Perdita. Ben shook his head and looked down at the girl. He checked her pulse to make sure she was still alive and thankful was.

"It was not your fault. This is not the first time it's happened." Ben smiled at the girl, trying to make her feel better. Ben placed his hand just above her mouth as well, making sure her breathing is normal. "It's emotional stress. It was literally everyone but you who did this." Ben explained, kneeling next to the unconscious girl. "She'll be back in a second. It doesn't last long." He added looking up at Maddie who was just frowning still.

"She doesn't deserve any of it…" She muttered, looking at Perdita and sighing. "She's so much more than just a half-blood… bitch." Maddie winced. It never pained her to say that word, but even just talking about Perdita being called it hurt. "But people are too ignorant to try and realise that." Ben nodded and understood exactly what Maddie was talking about.

"I know, Maddie. I know. I try to stop it but they do it anyway but as much as I don't want to take the blame off the people here, it's not exactly their fault. Her mother decided to stay here because of her selfishness and want to be perfect despite not being so. The people here just don't understand either so as much as I wish I could blame them. I can see why they act like that." Ben said trying not to seem like an ass. He never wanted to come across like that, he just wanted to be a fair ruler and try to explain both sides.

"You're too nice for your own good, princey." Maddie sighed. "Well I'm blaming them and they're lucky I haven't at least punched every single person who's treated her like shit. There are too many… I'd have a broken knuckle by the end." Maddie muttered. "And I'd get suspended." She rolled her eyes. He nodded his head and sighed.

"Yeah. Well, I have punched Chad once to see if he would leave her alone after that. Unsurprisingly, he didn't. He doesn't seem to realise that when I punch you and tell you to leave someone alone, you do it." Ben said, smiling slightly. Hardly anyone knew about that incident because his parents made sure nobody did because it would harm his reputation. Maddie's eyes widened a bit.

"You _punched_ Chad?" She raised her eyebrows and then laughed. "Now this is a Ben I can get besides." She smiled a bit but it faded when her eyes landed on Perdita. "Chad only listens when someone is complimenting him. I swear he's gonna end up with an arrow through his head." Maddie shook her head. "The only time he leaves someone alone is when he's done with them. When he's flirted, kissed and ticked another girl off his list." She sighed. "Thankfully not all of us are stupid enough to fall for it." Ben chuckled and looked down to Perdita, her eyes fluttering open. She groaned and looked up at the pair.

"Well, hi," Perdita muttered looking at them with a small smile.

"Casual for a girl who just fainted." Maddie raised an eyebrow and then her face softened. "I'm sorry Di…" she muttered and then looked at Ben. "Don't you tell me off for apologising." She rolled her eyes and then looked back down at Perdita.

"What you apologising for? I decided to faint." Perdita chuckled in response, a smile on her face. Ben couldn't help but smile at Perdita being so casual after fainting. Ben glanced back at saw Kai watching from afar, unsure whether to come close. Unknown to the trio, he was also kind of blaming himself. He felt like he was responsible since he came over and then she fainted.

"I threw the bottle and then pushed it on you…" Maddie muttered. "And then… you know… yeah…" she trailed off. Even after what Ben had said, Maddie still felt guilt for the situation, even if it wasn't her fault.

"I practically made you throw that bottle so if anything it's my fault," Perdita responded. Ben was honestly confused with the whole situation but seeing the pair talk and Perdita actually having some sort of friend was nice for him to see.

"Ben! Kai! Get over here! We've got a game to practice for! The coach shouted from the bottom of the bleachers. Clearly, he had seen that Perdita was awake so was now getting impatient.

"Yeah but if I had just admitted that I was stari..." Maddie trailed off, remembering that Ben was there still. "Then the bottle wouldn't have been thrown. But I'm too stubborn to have feelings." She muttered. She then looked at Ben. "Don't ask questions. Go back to your game. Since you can actually play." Ben nodded in response and got to his feet sending Perdita a small smile before rushing off, dragging Kai with him.

"Yeah, we are the complete opposite. I have so many feelings to the point where I faint and you are too stubborn to want to have them like ever." Perdita said, finally pulling herself back onto the seat next to Maddie. Maddie's gaze had fallen back onto Jay who was running around on the field.

"I missed him on purpose, Di. It wasn't just to embarrass you by hitting Kai. It was because what you said is true." Maddie sighed. "I just don't want to admit it because I don't know if I can cope with it." She moved her eyes down and looked at her hands, picking at her nails.

"Wow, if fainting does this to people maybe I should do it more often." Perdita joked trying to lighten the mood due to her anxiety coming back again. "But seriously though, I know what you mean. As much as I drool over you know who. I have yet to admit to anyone about what I feel to him. I understand how you feel and I'm in the same boat. I mean I don't know how I'll deal with it but also the fact that he thinks I'm a giant nerd and a half-breed bitch also plays a major factor in that so I mean. There's that but you get what I'm saying." She finished not sure how she ended up there. She moved her gaze to Kai who was playing again and honestly, she thought he was hot but had never admitted it to anyone. Maddie frowned and looked at Perdita. She reached out and placed a hand on Perdita's shoulder.

"I never want you to call yourself that again. You're so much more than that, Di. You are." Maddie said seriously. "And I wish people could see the you that I see. Because the Perdita I see is definitely not just a 'half-breed bitch' or a 'big nerd'. You're so much more." Maddie looked at Perdita and gave a small smile. However, Maddie's smile was nothing compared to Perdita's Cheshire cat grin. Nobody had ever said that about her before and it felt so nice and she couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks, Mads. I appreciate it a lot. Like you have no idea." Perdita responded watching as the game began to come to an end, not even realising she had spent all lunch outside which was very unusual for her. Maddie's smile grew.

"You don't need to thank me. It's the truth, Di. I just wish more people knew." Maddie's hand dropped from Perdita's shoulder. Perdita's smile was still evident and she grabbed her bottle.

"Genuine question to get rid of this serious mood that is freaking me out. What do I do with this? I mean yeah Chad touched it but I mean so did you know who. So what do I do?" Perdita asked looking to Maddie for advice.

"Tough situation." Maddie chuckled a bit. "But if it's been contaminated by Chad, unfortunately…" Maddie picked up the bottle and stood up. "It belongs in the trash." Without warning, she launched the bottle at Chad again. The bottle hit him right on the forehead.

"Oh my god! I'm running before that gets pelted back at me!" Perdita all but shouted as she ran away, down the bleachers passing the boys on the way. She saw as a different water bottle when flying past her, barely missing her head.

"Are you seriously just going to leave me here?!" Maddie called and started to run in the direction Perdita had, but before she could run to her, Maddie crashed right into someone.

"I'm supposed to be watching my head am I?" Maddie stumbled back upon hearing the voice and burned bright red when she saw Jay in front of her.

"I'm not doing this now. Get out of my way." She muttered and pushed past him, running towards Perdita in complete embarrassment.

"Look who's embarrassed now," Perdita said simply, grinning at the girl. From around the corner, both the guys appeared. Jay and Kai and Ben just behind them without the girls realising "Actually, let's both run." Perdita muttering turning and sprinting off, dragging Maddie behind her.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Some of this chapter was co-written with one of my amazing friends at Luce-and-Lish. The character Maddie is played by Lish and does not belong to me at all!**

The girls continued running for their lives, trying to avoid the boys the best they can. Not wanting to be caught by them.

"We really can't win can we?" Maddie sighed as the two girls ran. Just as they were about to slow down, Maddie looked behind her to see Jay, Kai and now Ben hot on their tails. "Nope keep running, Di. Keep running." Maddie sped up. Perdita not being the most healthy person was just struggling to breathe as she ran at the speed they were at. The fact she had to speed up, she was sure she was going to collapse before getting away from them. Honestly, the only reason the boys were after them was because of Maddie and her bottle throwing shenanigans.

"Why did I start throwing the bottle?" Maddie shook her head and noticed that Perdita had fallen behind a bit. Maddie slowed down. "We can stop. I don't want you fainting again." She said seriously. "Maybe we should just face them…" she suggested uncertainly.

"Thank god. I need to stop." Perdita muttered completely disregarding everything else. Stopping, she collapsed onto her knees and then fell onto her stomach, pressing her cheek against the cool grass. Panting heavily. "I need to be healthier." She muttered between pants. Maddie sat down on the floor beside Perdita.

"To be fair, that was a lot of running…" Maddie admitted, panting. "But I think we lost…" she trailed off and looked around. "Nevermind." She noticed Jay, Kai and Ben jogging towards them. "Please just don't faint again," Maddie muttered as the boys slowed to a stop in front of them.

"Jesus, I forgot how quick you two could run when you wanted to. Is Perdita okay?" Ben asked glancing down at the girl with her face pressed against the dirt. Kai had furrowed eyebrows as he looked at her. She had her eyes closed so he was honestly unsure if she had fainted or not.

"Did she faint?" Kai asked looking down at Maddie. Maddie wished to avoid all contact with Jay so glued her eyes to Kai instead.

"We just fucking sprinted for like five minutes straight, I wouldn't be surprised if she fainted." Maddie poked Perdita's arm. "You alive?" Maddie asked. She let out a groan in response and just rolled over. "She's alive." Maddie shrugged. It didn't take much longer after that to notice Jay looking at her.

"What do you want?" She sighed, trying to fight back the weird nerves and butterflies.

"Am I not allowed to look at you?" Jay questioned, to which Maddie rolled her eyes.

"I didn't say that I just… shut up." She looked at the grass and picked at it.

"Are _you_ okay?" Jay asked, still looking at her.

"Fine," Maddie said bluntly. "I'm used to the running. Didn't train like crazy just to be turned down from every sports team because I'm a girl…" she trailed off. "At least that put it into use." She finished quickly. Perdita groaned and turned over again. She opened her eyes to be met with the bright sun so instantly closed them again.

"I feel like I'm dying. I was not built for this," She muttered her arms collapsing to the ground again after she brought them up a minute previously.

"You should train with Maddie then." Ben came up with an answer. Kai staying oddly quiet, looking at the girl.

"Maddie would kill me," Perdita responded, shrugging.

"The only people I want to kill are Chad and Muscles over there," Maddie muttered, still picking at the grass.

"Muscles?" Jay raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, starting to smirk. It just hit Maddie what she had said and she could feel her face quickly starting to match the colour of her hair once again.

"Di, I think training you is a great idea." Maddie jumped up. "In fact why don't we start now?" She said quickly, the embarrassment almost making her stutter.

"Oh god please no." Perdita pleaded as Maddie began to pull her to her feet. "No. I'd rather die than train and we've got class. I've got English and I need to get my stuff and…" Perdita rambled on wanting to do anything but train. She was too exhausted now. Maddie looked at Perdita with an expression that read 'help me'.

"Well, _I'm_ dying right now so…" Maddie glanced back at Jay and then looked at Perdita. "How about I go with you while you get your stuff? Sounds good? Yeah." Maddie nodded and started to pull Perdita away from the boys.

"Actually, Maddie." Jay interrupted, stepping forward. "You're in my class next." He said and Maddie scrunched up her face in annoyance, wanting to just die at this point. "We should walk there together." He suggested with a slight smirk. Maddie looked at Perdita pleadingly. Perdita opened her mouth to speak but Kai spoke before she had a chance.

"Well, Dita and I have English together next. So, I thought her and I could walk together," Kai said hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck. Now, both of the girls wanted to find some sort of escape.

"Well, actually boys, we are all still sweaty and wearing our tourney uniform. So, let's go get changed first. We can bug the girls later." Ben said with a smile. Perdita sighed in relief and flopped back onto the grass. Maddie also let out a sigh of relief.  
"Sounds great. Never been a fan of… sweatiness." She muttered.  
"I'll make sure I'm not sweaty around you then " Jay commented, making Maddie shake her head and look down at the grass.  
"Then just don't be around me." Maddie shrugged. Jay furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes remaining on the redhead.  
"Impossible." He crossed his arms.  
"Oh, it's very possible. I can avoid someone when I want to." Maddie looked up and crossed her arms as well, though deep down the last thing she wanted to do was avoid him.

"Well, Jay we need to go. Come on." Ben said, grabbing the boy's arm dragging him away. Perdita turned to Maddie with a small smile trying not to think about what just happened.

"Mads, this is why you don't chuck bottles at people's heads." Perdita smiled glancing towards the boys who were turning around a corner, heading to the changing rooms, "It lands us in situations like that where you are scared to admit your feelings." She added moving her gaze back to the redhead.

"Whose idea was it for me to throw the bottle in the first place, Di?" Maddie raised her eyebrows. Perdita looked at Maddie, innocently.

"I didn't suggest it. Why are you implying that?" She asked tilting her head slightly. Maddie rolled her eyes.  
"The innocence game." She shook her head. "You instigated it both times. I only made the decision to throw it at Kai instead of Jay." Perdita rolled her eyes and looked down at the floor.

"And look where that got me." She muttered, stuffing her hands in her jean pockets. She shook her head slightly and looked up again. "Well, are we gonna go get my stuff or not?" She asked looking towards the school building.

"Yeah, we better go do that." Maddie nodded, standing up and adjusting her tartan jacket. She reached out her hand to help Perdita up. Perdita grabbed the redhead's hand and she was pulled to her feet.

"English is gonna be fun," She muttered beginning to walk towards the building. Maddie sighed, walking alongside Perdita.

"Well I have Maths with Muscl-" She cut herself off. "Uh, Jay. So… yeah." She blew a strand of her red hair away from her face. Perdita frowned slightly and the pair walked on.

"We'll be fine. We can survive these classes with them. It'll be fine. You can punch Jay in the face if he's annoying you that much. I am not opposed to that." Perdita shrugged, looking down at the grass.

"I might just have to." Maddie smiled a bit. "Hopefully. But I don't like Maths so the distraction might be appreciated." She shrugged.

"Well, Kai is my distraction… So this'll be fun." Perdita muttered as the pair walked towards the school. Neither of the girls particularly wanted to go to their next class but they had.


	8. Chapter Eight

Perdita was sat in English and it was just like any other time. She was half-listening and half-staring at Kai. However, she was trying not to look because she was honestly scared he would see. He looked hot and kind of sweaty but she found him more attractive because of it. She had no idea why but she did. It was weird.

After her fainting spell on the bleachers, she was worried he'd come to her and ask about her which she knew would freak her out. Just hearing him talk made her freak out, him talking to _her_ would freak her out even more.

"Mr Waialiki, what does Juliet mean when she says 'Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo'?" Mrs Davis asked, looking to the boy. He cleared his throat and sat up, thinking for a moment.

"Juliet is asking why does Romeo have to be a Montague. She wishes Romeo wasn't from that family because of the feud and she is asking why she had to fall in love with Romeo who is a Montague." Kai explained with a cute smile on his face. There were a few confused expressions across the class. However, Chad Charming was the first to try and disprove Kai wrong.

"No, Juliet is asking where he is," Chad stated in a duh tone. He was practically glaring at Kai, who chuckled in response and shook his head.

"That's a common misconception of the line. Wherefore means why not where." Kai responded glaring right back at the blonde. Perdita couldn't help but chuckle and grin at that.

"Mr Waialiki is right. Juliet is asking why Romeo is a Montague." Mrs Davis intervenes before Chad could make more of a fool of himself. Perdita was glad he got shown up. He deserved it. He was a pompous ass.

"Ms Carter, do you know what she says after that line? Without using your script" Mrs Davis asked her eyes quickly looking to Perdita. Perdita was taken aback by her being called on. She wasn't really called on so it was strange, however, she could recite Romeo and Juliet so she knew exactly what was next said.

"Deny thy father and refuse thy name: Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet." She recited with a small smile, her book closed in front of her. Most of the class was looking at her, Kai looked impressed but the others just knew it was another thing they could take the mick out of her for.

"Good. Now let's carry on with the script." Mrs Davis replied, holding her book back up. Mrs Davis began reading the script to the play and they all listened intently. She hadn't realised how invested the class was in the play until Perdita realised nobody had said anything about her yet.

* * *

It was after lesson now and the class had emptied out now. Most of them had a class next so they had scurried off. However, Perdita had a free which she was okay with. Mrs Davis didn't have a class next either so had left the room for whatever reason, leaving Perdita alone. Well, that's what she thought. She noticed in the corner of her eye, Kai sitting himself down on the desk in front of Perdita's.

She didn't move her eyes from her bag as she put her stuff away, feeling more self-conscious by the second. She zipped her bag up and just placed her hands against it, not sure if she should leave or speak or what.

"Are you okay, Dita?" He asked, his voice making her melt. She cleared her throat and nodded her head not moving her eyes off her bag. "I just wanted to uh… make sure since you fainted and all." He added rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm... I-I'm fine. It happens." She muttered in response. He nodded slightly and looked to the wall, thinking.

"How did you recite that line without looking at the book?" He asked, trying to make conversation with her. He didn't like the awkward air in the room and he just wanted to have a conversation with her.

"We-well, with everyone in this school. I… uh… r-read a lot a-and it's one of my uh… favourites. I can rec-recite it all, basically." She confessed stumbling over her words, smiling slightly. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her in surprise.

"Seriously? That's so cool," He chuckled slightly surprised by it. She chuckled as well, surprised by his reaction. She was surprised he didn't call her a dork or a dweeb or something else but he was just nice about it, which was strange.

"Thanks." She smiled in response. He nodded and looked to the door, seeing one of his friends looking at him. He sighed.

"I gotta go, Dita. Talk to you later." He smiled before walking out, slinging his bag over his shoulder. When she heard the door close, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and her heartbeat began to slow down.

After she was sure they would be gone, she pulled her bag over her shoulder and made her way out of class and towards her dorm room.

* * *

Classes had finished now and Perdita was sat in her room, like always. She heard a knock on her door and she sighed, getting to her feet. She walked to the door and pulled it open, not entirely surprised by who she found there. It was Mal.

"Hey," Perdita muttered, feeling her anxiety beginning to come over her. Mal shoved past her and entered the room, not caring about not being invited in. Perdita sighed and closed the door, turning to face the purple-haired girl.

"What is your deal? One minute you hate these people, next you are cosying up with them," Mal all but spat. Perdita sighed and tried to ignore the anxious feeling.

"I do hate the people here. They… They are assholes except for a few. Maddie is nice, Kai is nice and so is Ben. Just because I hate some people doesn't me I hate all." She attempted to explain but stumbled over her words. Her anxiety was always a pain. It made her stumble over her words and her brain always seemed to think faster than her mouth could get the words out.

"Well, if you're friends with Maddie. What's up with her and Jay?" Mal asked turning to the girl, instead of looking out the window. Perdita sighed and looked up at Mal.

"It's not like I'm best friends with her. I just know her and from what I know… nothing is going on." She muttered in response. Mal scoffed in response and looked back to the window, looking at the view.

"Apparently, Jay is giving her the heart eyes or some crap. I can't have him falling in love with her. We have a job to do. He is not screwing this up." Mal complained more to herself than Perdita.

"Is that all you came to ask me about?" Perdita asked looking at Mal, who seemed to be scowling slightly. However, Perdita saw something else on her face that she couldn't read but it was something different.

"Yeah, I'm leaving," Mal said abruptly, turning and exiting the room. Perdita was confused by her abruptness but then again she had never met a kid from the Isle. She knew things must be really different there.


	9. Chapter Nine

As always, Perdita was doing everything she had to late into the night. It was how she lived and she liked it. It was coming up to 11 and she had just dropped off the library books off at her room. Now, she was going to get something else.

Not paying attention, she bumped into someone. She stumbled backwards and looked up only to be met with Kai. He chuckled and sent her a small smile.

"Do you just like creeping around during the night?" He asked with a smile. She looked down to the floor, her cheeks flushing bright red, completely embarrassed.

"No." She muttered in response. He instantly took note of her red cheeks and for a moment thought she might have gone for a run again. However, she was definitely not wearing the right attire and wasn't even sweating like she was last time.

"I thought you went on runs every night?" He said seemingly out of the blue for Perdita. She was taken aback by the question and shrugged.

"No… well yeah...I just.. Uh… I was doing other stuff…" She muttered in response. She quickly shoved her list of things to do into her back pocket of her jeans due to the front pockets being fake ones. Something she hadn't realised until she already bought them.

"Like what?" He asked tilting his head, looking down at her. She sighed and shrugged. He raised an eyebrow and he moved his arm around her and took the list out of her back pocket.

"Hey! Give it back!" She all but shouted as he held it out of her reach due to his height.

"What is there something you don't want me to see?" He asked a grin on his face. She rolled her eyes and continued to reach for the list. "If you so desperately want this back, we can strike a deal." He added keeping his gaze fixed on her face. She was still jumping, trying to grab the note but she just couldn't reach it.

"No." She muttered as she almost reached it but he pulled it away. He stood on his tiptoes so it was definitely out of reach.

"You don't even know the terms." He responded. She sighed and stepped back, giving up. "I'll give it back to you if we go on runs together like you said you did. We both saw how exhausted you were earlier. It will get your stamina up." He smiled actually trying to persuade her.

"You can look. I don't care." She muttered and looked down at the floor. There was nothing bad on it, she just felt weird him seeing her list.

"Okay." He said and he looked at the list. He chuckled and looked down at her. "I will give this back but my offer still stands." He said, passing the list to her. Even to this day, Perdita doesn't know what compelled her to blurt her answer out but she did and she never regretted.

"Yeah… okay." She said with a grin forming across her face. She shoved the list into her pocket again and couldn't help smiling. Kai was taken aback by her sudden acceptance but he was kind of happy about it which was strange. He didn't think he'd be as happy about it as he was.

"Cool, I'll meet you outside your room at let's say 9pm tomorrow?" He suggested grinning. She nodded in response and only when she was walking away did she realise what she just did. As soon as she was out of his sight, she hit herself on the forehead, muttering 'idiot' under her breath.

* * *

Ben and Perdita were strolling down the corridors of Auradon Prep. The pair liked to talk earlier in the morning when there weren't many people around. It was a thing they had done for years. They just talked about their weeks or something like that. Perdita, despite telling Ben a lot, had not made him aware of her crush on Kai.

"I did something really dumb last night," Perdita muttered, glancing towards the soon to be King. He furrowed his eyebrows and she sighed. "I decided it would be a good idea to agree to go on runs with Kai every night." She confessed. Ben was slightly taken aback by that fact. He was unaware that they even talked or that Perdita ran.

"You run?" He asked looking to her. She chuckled and shook her head.

"As if… No. I just made this lie up for why I was so sweaty when…" Perdita trailed off realising what she was about to reveal. "Nevermind." She muttered. Ben found it weird but decided not to question it, knowing that was just what she was like.

"Do you think the Isle kids are fitting in well?" Ben asked, looking to Perdita. She shrugged and looked down to the floor.

"I haven't really talked to all of them. Mal is just being Mal, I guess. Jay seems to be fitting in well, same with Carlos but I haven't talked to him much either. From what I've seen of Evie, she seems to be fitting in well. She's in some of my classes. Chad is 'charming her' which honestly disgusts me." Perdita explained finding it easy to talk to Ben. She didn't know why she found it so easy to talk to Ben but she did. It was nice. He chuckled and looked back forward as the pair continued walking.

"Yeah, we better keep an eye on Chad. Well, I need to keep an eye on you, Chad and Maddie. You two just pelting bottles at his head." Ben said with a small smile on his face. She rolled her eyes.

"He deserved that, honestly. Kai didn't. Maddie just wanted to embarrass me but I don't blame her. I'd want to embarrass me too." She muttered in response. Ben sighed and looked to her.

"You really need to think better of yourself. The people here are idiots. You shouldn't listen to them. They are all idiots for not seeing past your mother's mistakes." He responded. She shrugged and looked down at the carpet.

"Mhm." She let out in response.

"Anyway, I gotta go. My dad wanted to talk to me about something. I'll see you later." Ben gave her a little wave as he rushed off down the corridor. Perdita sighed and turned towards her dorm room, going to get ready for class since she didn't have anything better to do.


End file.
